What willl the kicking game look like next year?

[Dan Thompson]

Will we have a new FG kicker?

Should we see an improvement in the length of our kick offs?

We did pretty well on special teams against UF, will this last into next year?

[ouleaf]

I don't see how we could get much worse than last year. Hopefully we can find a guy that can kick it into the endzone a little more frequently on KO's. I still worry about Jimmy being our guy back there. Hopefully Tress Way can provide some us with some stability so we aren't all nervous every time we kick the ball.

I'm definitely thinking that Special Teams will be a big point of emphasis during the off-season.

[MichiganSooner]

Did not see a kicker on the recruiting list. One is listed as an athlete.

[MikeInNorman]

The kicker from Norman North, Bryce Easley, is a recruited walk-on.

The one game I saw him, which was unfortunately a beat-down of my kids' school, Norman High, was at Owen Field. He kicked off 8 or 9 times that night, and even though he kicked from the 40, most of the kicks were well into the stands.

He was far superior to our current kicker in high school, based on what I saw.

[Dan Thompson]

Sounds like the type of guy we need.

[BearInOKC]

A new field goal kicker? Are you kidding?

[Tulsa_Fireman]

It'll look a lot like this.

For kickoffs, there'll be a guy, usually smaller than the rest of the team, and an oddly shaped plastic device on the field that allows that person to place the ball with the points vertically resting in the device. Then that person will run up from an angle and kick the ball with his foot while ten other guys run down the field.

For field goals, it will be similar, but instead of that plastic device, someone will be on one knee and receiving a snap from center, usually seven yards from the line of scrimmage. They will hold the ball with the points vertical, finishing with a single finger placed on the topmost point. The other nine players will stay close to the line of scrimmage and try to keep players from the opposing team from running up and knocking the ball down after the kicker actually kicks it. Outside of that, the kicker's motion is somewhat similar, but with a shorter approach to the place where the one player is holding the ball with one finger at the tip.

Punting is a whole different ballgame. And it's reaaaaly complicated, so let's just have faith in the fact that we will only kick off and kick field goals/PATs over the course of the season.

THAT'S what our kicking game will look like.

MARK IT DOWN.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

It'll look a lot like this.

For kickoffs, there'll be a guy, usually smaller than the rest of the team, and an oddly shaped plastic device on the field that allows that person to place the ball with the points vertically resting in the device. Then that person will run up from an angle and kick the ball with his foot while ten other guys run down the field.

For field goals, it will be similar, but instead of that plastic device, someone will be on one knee and receiving a snap from center, usually seven yards from the line of scrimmage. They will hold the ball with the points vertical, finishing with a single finger placed on the topmost point. The other nine players will stay close to the line of scrimmage and try to keep players from the opposing team from running up and knocking the ball down after the kicker actually kicks it. Outside of that, the kicker's motion is somewhat similar, but with a shorter approach to the place where the one player is holding the ball with one finger at the tip.

Punting is a whole different ballgame. And it's reaaaaly complicated, so let's just have faith in the fact that we will only kick off and kick field goals/PATs over the course of the season.

THAT'S what our kicking game will look like.

MARK IT DOWN.


Here is a visual

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2855358528_f87f35fdf8.jpg?v=0

[SoonerMom2]

Norman North will provide the OU kicker as a recruited walk on for next fall and earn a scholarship for the following fall. He is going to out kick anyone now on scholarship IMHO.

No way that short kicker will out kick Easley -- this years kicker was horrible with an attitude problem.

[BearInOKC]

Duncan's first year: 11/16 (68%) FG and 49/51 (96%) XP
DiCarlo's first year: 16/22 (73%) FG and 58/62 (94%) XP
Hartley's first year: 14/22 (64%) FG and 37/38 (97%) XP
Stevens' first year: 8/12 (67%) FG and 94/99 (95%) XP

Just saying that Stevens' first year numbers are comparable to others in the past. His worst game was against Kansas, in which he missed 30- and 47-yard field goals (making a 19-yarder.) Not making excuses, as anyone one with a D1 scholarship must be ready to play at the drop of a pin, but prior to the KU game, Jimmy had attempted one...ONE...field goal all season. That came in week 2 against Cincy - good from 39 yards. How often does a field goal kicker have one attempt in a 6 game stretch? I can understand a little rust on the leg. After the Kansas game, Stevens goes 6/8 the remainder of the season, including the 49-yard blocked kick in Miami.

Only time will tell how good of a kicker Stevens will turn out to be, but I think everyone calling for his replacement is being premature. Up to this point, it's difficult to be too critical of his performance. Maybe Way or the walk-on will beat him out next year- fair enough. The best kicker should be on the field. It's too early to crucify Stevens.

[SoonerMom2]

Stevens is a hot head who took on one of our lineman on TV. Anyone that is not level headed as a kicker is not going to do well IMHO. Missing 5 extra points was not cool and some others were in by a whisker. Sitting in the stands you heard the 'oh no's' when he would trot out to kick. That harkened back to kickers you wanted to close your eyes and have someone tell you if they made the kick. Did you see improvement from the beginning to the end on field goals? I sure didn't -- still held my breath and wondered if his kicking is why we went on 4th down in the end zone. He missed several what should have been chip shots. His kicks have a low trajectory which leaves them open to being blocked. I want a Hartley type kicker who can tackle if they need to in order to save a long runback or touchdown. Hartley prototype for OU kicker works for me. Want someone who can see over our own lineman.

As for our kick-offs, short, short, short and caused a lot of problems for our defense on kick returns.

Our weakest part of the game was special teams especially kickers. Some kickoffs were so short, our defense had little time to get down the field.

[BoulderSooner79]

I did see improvement in Stevens as the year progressed. His extra points were more predictable - higher and more centered. I know they are just XPs, but that is the only thing we did often enough to judge. I also think he was the best we had or he would not have been out there. There will be competition in the spring and fall and if Stevens starts again, it will be because he won the job. If that's not good enough, then it's the coaches fault for not recruiting properly, not Stevens. I am confident he is doing the best he can and as Stoops says - this is not the NFL, there is no waiver wire.

[soonerfan28]

Just let Tress Way do it all. I've heard he's our future at punter and I think he would be good on kickoffs.

[Spray]

Duncan's first year: 11/16 (68%) FG and 49/51 (96%) XP
DiCarlo's first year: 16/22 (73%) FG and 58/62 (94%) XP
Hartley's first year: 14/22 (64%) FG and 37/38 (97%) XP
Stevens' first year: 8/12 (67%) FG and 94/99 (95%) XP

Just saying that Stevens' first year numbers are comparable to others in the past. His worst game was against Kansas, in which he missed 30- and 47-yard field goals (making a 19-yarder.) Not making excuses, as anyone one with a D1 scholarship must be ready to play at the drop of a pin, but prior to the KU game, Jimmy had attempted one...ONE...field goal all season. That came in week 2 against Cincy - good from 39 yards. How often does a field goal kicker have one attempt in a 6 game stretch? I can understand a little rust on the leg. After the Kansas game, Stevens goes 6/8 the remainder of the season, including the 49-yard blocked kick in Miami.

Only time will tell how good of a kicker Stevens will turn out to be, but I think everyone calling for his replacement is being premature. Up to this point, it's difficult to be too critical of his performance. Maybe Way or the walk-on will beat him out next year- fair enough. The best kicker should be on the field. It's too early to crucify Stevens.

Spot on anlaysis, Bear. As opposed to the one written right after it (which, amazingly, did manage to point out Stevens' biggest weakness- trajectory).

Stevens should impove dramtically through Spring and Summer just like his predecessors, including his leg strength on KOs (of course, poor containment, discipline, and tackling were bigger problems on KOs this year, but its easier to just blame it on the "gol danged" kicker). I remember the same frustration about short KOs in the first year of all 3 of the other kickers mentioned. If he doesn't improve, he'll be passed on the depth chart- and we'll start this discussion all over again about another first-year, "struggling" kicker.

[gonefishin]

How about designating an actual special teams coach? Can't blame the kicker if guys are just missing tackles.

[ouwasp]

It's gotta be better than last yr.

It was so bad (from my perspective) that I would take a restroom break during the kickoffs, not the commercials.

The KO team was iowa state bad.

[Aries]

For kickoffs, there'll be a guy, usually smaller than the rest of the team, and an oddly shaped plastic device on the field that allows that person to place the ball with the points vertically resting in the device. Then that person will run up from an angle and kick the ball with his foot while ten other guys run down the field.

I saw one play where the smaller guy took 3-4 steps toward the ball, but instead of kicking it he fell flat on his face, and another guy closer to the ball onside kicked it. I didn't see who recovered it, I was laughing too hard.

[Leroy Lizard]

Punting is a whole different ballgame. And it's reaaaaly complicated, so let's just have faith in the fact that we will only kick off and kick field goals/PATs over the course of the season.

I thought I had a good picture of it until we played North Texas about ten years ago.

[MichiganSooner]

Don't know what the kicking game will look like but know what it will sound like. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!